


Waning Eclipse

by ExtraAgave



Category: Naruto
Genre: Codependency, Drabble Sequence, Recovery, Warring States Period (Naruto)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:53:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25374955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraAgave/pseuds/ExtraAgave
Summary: Held captive together, two unlikely souls develop an unlikely bond becoming fully intertwined. Series of moments of their escape, their recovery, and their love.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Comments: 96
Kudos: 320





	1. Chapter 1

Madara tried to wet his cracked lips to no avail, there was barely any moisture left in his mouth. The brutal pace he forced on them was borderline reckless but desperation and the taste of freedom made a world of a difference in motivation.

He barely kept track of their path, trusting in his companion’s instructions to guide him. Under the pale glow of scattered stars, they gradually put distance between themselves and their pursuers. But his white haired companion was flagging despite Madara supporting him having started shouldering half the man’s weight to keep their pace. 

Considering how much the man had expended with whatever he had done to blow up that hellhole, Madara was impressed that he was even able to put one foot in front of the other. The Uchiha Head only knew that it had drained a massive amount of chakra. But now that they were out, Madara would make sure he did his part in getting them as far away as possible. 

If anyone would have told him a few weeks ago that he would voluntarily help someone from the enemy clan, specifically the Senju’s White Demon that constantly inspired Izuna’s ire, he would have dunked them into the pond. Any thought of proprieties be damned. 

But... time could change one’s perspective, and rather violently at that. And now, now Madara wasn’t even sure if he could bear to be apart from the once enemy. He tucked that thought away and grimly concentrated on escaping. 

It would be something they would have to broach once they were safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of want to try this way, see how and where it will go. Maybe throw in plot eventually but attention span be rough these days
> 
> Just want a lot of that comfort mood that these two always elicit.


	2. Chapter 2

Even with Madara supporting his stride, Tobirama could barely follow Madara’s lope, having pushed what little chakra he had left into spreading his sensory abilities to track their pursuers as they had initially planned in the brief moments of respite. Every breathless whisper of information allowed Madara to adjust their course accordingly as they gradually gained more ground away. 

It wasn’t a surprise that it only took a misstep for the man to lose his footing and plummet down to the forest floor and out of Madara’s grasp. Madara hissed a curse before diving after him, barely breaking the fall as they rolled into the leafy debris. 

Madara hoisted the shaking man closer without missing a beat. He situated them below the up-grown roots of a tree to hide in it’s shadows. It was strange how quickly they had gotten dependent on each other since the first days of their captivity. But it was a comfort they both come to cherish so preciously with their senses stripped raw as it had been. 

“We should move soon,” Tobirama murmured with a rasp, shivering as he completely sagged into Madara, “They split into three groups, the one closest to us fell for the decoy clones headed towards Ami.” 

Madara gave a small hum in acknowledgement but neither of them tried to move.

The forest was quiet but for the sounds of their rasped breathing and resettling leaves.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a very bad session that had left Tobirama near insensate from whatever they had injected the white-hair male with. Madara had wanted to rage at the helplessness he felt, his chakra swirling uselessly under the sealing chains. Instead he gently cushioned Tobirama’s head on his thigh and draped an arm over his twitching side. His free hand had taken to running through the sweat streaked hair. 

Slowly, Tobirama’s shudders ebbed to sporadic twitches as he concentrated on the way Madara’s nimble fingers worked through the knots that formed. It was quick work to untangle the hair but Madara continued the motions of running his hand through the fine locks. It worked to calm himself down and he could feel Tobirama relaxing further into his touch. 

Tobirama was grateful as he slowly came to, greedily soaking in the warmth from the simple contact that was voluntarily given. The hand in his hair paused when he started moving but after a moment it resumed once more. And while it was still gentle in it’s touch, it was the slightest bit firmer. 

Neither of them spoke, unwilling to let the moment stop just yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Madara woke with a jerk, sharply inhaling air as he tried to calm the rapid pace of his heart. While the night terrors were less frequent as they spent more time away, he still found himself reacting against phantom bindings even though the familiar throb of his eyes said otherwise. He was no longer bound down. They were free.

He stared up at the ceiling. The achingly familiar details did wonders in steadying himself. The main house was quiet but for the pattering of heavy rain against the shingles of the roof. He turned to the side and stared at the space where his companion should have been occupying. It was empty but if he pressed his hand against the linen, there was still a slight warmth. 

He closed his eyes and let the chakra recede and instead pulsed it out around him, searching. When he found what he sought, he felt a returning touch caressed him in questioning concern. He rose from the bed and carelessly pulled a haori over himself. His hair had started unravelling from the braid he had tied but he ignored it, choosing instead to walk to where his companion was. He didn’t want to be alone right now. 

He stepped out onto the engawa and paused to take in the sight. Huddled in a thick blanket, Tobirama looked almost small from where he was sitting, leaning against the pillar for support. The Senju turned to him and frowned at his appearance, beckoning the man to join him. 

Madara allowed himself to be pulled down to sit. He sighed as warm calloused hands cupped his face, thumbs rubbing in circular motions under his eyes. 

“I felt you activate them,” said Tobirama, a bare whisper over the rain, “Do you need me to check?”

Madara opened eyes that he did not realize he had shut and stared into the deep crimson that was so different from his clan’s. He brought his own hands up, wrapping around slender wrists that held him afloat. 

“This is fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get better together ;_;


	5. Chapter 5

The moment Madara felt the sharp lash of Tobirama’s chakra, he abruptly stood and ran. He ignored the alarmed shouts of Elders, leaving Izuna and Hikaku to deal with their complaints. 

He ignored the Uchiha on the streets, jumping out of his way and watching with a mixture of curiosity and worry, too hyper fixated on getting to his companion who was steadily getting more and more distressed. 

He ignored Hanako’s protest as he swept through her medical ward and straight into the room where Tobirama was being held down by the two guards who had been assigned to watch over the Senju. It was clear that they were trying to get him to stop trashing so the medics could help but Madara could not stop the fury that enveloped him as Tobirama strained desperately against their hold. 

“Please,” Tobirama keened, begging and unable to distinguish dream from reality in his fevered state, “No more.” 

“Let him go,” he ordered with a guttural snarl. The occupants startled at his voice but they immediately disengaged when Madara’s chakra ignited, burning and overpowering as it blanketed the room in its pressure. 

Tobirama’s reaction to the chakra was instantaneous as he gasped in relief before collapsing limply on the bed. Clouded red eyes opened and focused desperately on the only familiar face, hand reaching weakly towards him for reassurance.

“‘Dara,” came a choked out whisper, only to grow into a whine as Madara drew closer and clasped his hand, “Madara. Please, don’t let them th-. Mada-!”

Madara pulled the fevered man into his hold, tucking Tobirama under his chin with painstaking gentleness. The other occupants were silent as their Clan Head allowed the infamous Senju, who looked unnaturally frail, to cling to him as if Madara was his only lifeline. It almost felt as if they were intruding on something they should not be privy to. But none of them were able to move, as if trapped in a snare and transfixed to their spots. 

“You are safe, my heart,” Madara quietly crooned as he ran a hand up and down the sweat soaked back, ignoring the surprise spike of his clansmen. He was sure the news would spread like wildfire but he could not be bothered to care. All that mattered right now was that Tobirama was calming down. 

“It’s okay to rest now, I will watch over you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;A; it gonna be okay guys


	6. Chapter 6

“He is an enemy and worse, a Senju!” snarled Shichirou slamming his fist down onto the table in emphasis of his derision, “He will turn on you the moment you let your guard down.” 

A relic of Tajima’s consul, Shichirou had remained a voice of contention from the moment Madara assumed the role as Clan Head. Were it not for clan piety, Madara would have long rid the man for his incessant hunger to engage the clan into battle, misguided in the old adage that they had to enforce the prowess of the Uchiha. Though he maintained an almost lazy indifference at Shichirou’s spittle, Madara absently noted how his anger was much quicker to ignite now as opposed to before. 

Outside of battles, he had never been the most patient and between him and Izuna, it was even more obvious. He was always quick to act on his anger and make it known. He could feel Izuna tensing beside him when he chose to stay silent. 

This was dangerous and it wasn’t just Izuna that was keying in to it. While Izuna had said he would abstain from acting, he had a sinking feeling that these words against Tobirama might just be enough to tip Madara over. 

“Yet you allow that monster to walk amongst us uninhibited,” Shichirou continued despite the atypical silence he was met with. He was ignorant in the way the other elders had quietly distanced themselves from him, vision too tunneled by the opportunity before him to rid the white demon, “He will kill our children if given the opportunity.”

The shock was widespread in those of the clan who had gathered to observe. What had happened in the medical ward had spread like wildfire and whispers of the interaction between their Clan head and the Senju heir since then had painted a different picture. 

While it seemed that there were initially some who were in agreement with the elder Uchiha’s earlier words, even they were outraged at the accusation. For all that the Senju’s were dangerous enemies, there was honor. Some members even started making motions towards the dais. Hikaku had to grab Hanako from storming up. The medic was livid. The audacity of that bastard for bringing up children so callously. 

The implication Shichirou posed was just shy of treason considering the eradication of the past child-hunting practices were mutual between the two clans. To accuse someone of it now was the highest of insult and blatant instigation. To accuse Tobirama, whom Madara had all but claimed as his own, was to accuse the clan head himself. 

The murmurs of growing agitation seemed to finally register and Shichirou turned to them in askance, “He is dangerous. We have the chance to put him down-!”

 _How dare he_.

Madara didn’t even register how fast he moved at those words, hand closing around the frail throat as he all but dragged the man up to his face. 

“It seems my absence has made you bold in your vitriol, Shichirou.” Said Madara, eyes spinning into familiar red, ignoring the man’s frantic attempt to dislodge his grasp. 

“Ple-please. Mercy.” Rasped the man in between gasps for air, realizing just how far he pushed. The grip tightened further before the man was released, collapsing to the ground as he tried to breathe. 

Madara's gaze swept around the gathering. No one made an attempt to help Shichirou. They understood. The man was insane to attempt to accuse an Uchiha’s chosen. There was no sympathy in that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself that these were supposed to stay drabble short but noooo, the brain completely ran away from me.   
> And it got a darker than intended...why???   
> Tobirama didn't even make it in, why!!


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn’t until he slid the ward’s rickety door shut that Madara allowed himself to hunch in his posture, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes to stave off the throbbing ache welling up behind them.

The fiasco with Shichirou had released the subtle tension that had been shadowing around the clan’s feet. The elder’s attempt at shifting the tides had failed and all but solidified Madara’s own stance.

  
However, there was a need to reassure the rest of the clan that everything was in the midst of settling down. He was thankful that Izuna and Hikaku had taken up the bulk of the workload in his absence allowing him to reacclimate. Madara forced himself to keep steady as the days became filled with reports upon reports.

But it was exhausting. He found it difficult to dredge up his previous vigor especially when his thoughts constantly drifted back to the worrisome state of his companion. Bouts of listlessness would attach suddenly and noticeably to those around him. Izuna fretted but there was little that even he could do to pull Madara out of it. It was clear how taken he was. In the end, it was quietly agreed upon amongst the clan to usher him out and towards the ward when he became like this.

Madara took these moments of respite without argument, gratefully retreating back to this room and to the person that laid resting in it. It was coming up almost a full week since Tobirama had plunged into the fevered state and since then, the man had been in and out of lucidity.

Hanako’s initial report had been grim but privy to only a few. The head medic had outright refused to confirm any news publicly, surprisingly tight lipped when asked by others seeking to know if the infamous rival of the clan’s heir had truly weakened.

She had diligently explained to Madara that Tobirama was still severely drained and despite the marked improvement in pallor, the man had been slow to recover. At this point it was up to the man himself to awaken. Whatever they had been put through had greatly affected the Senju; she had postulated that it was most likely due to how much more sensitive of a sensor he was compared to Madara. But because of that, it also seemed like Madara’s presence helped.

A sleepy shuffle and a questioning rasp of his name had Madara jerking up from his thoughts, neck protesting at the speed of his action. He watched breathlessly as bleary red eyes slowly squinted open and came into focus. It was only when the bed ridden man decided to try and get up that Madara sprung into action.

He propped the pillows higher before sitting at the edge of the bed to ease Tobirama up, letting a shaking hand reach to curl around his neck in a bid to pull him closer. Madara went easily, snaking his arm around a warm back and adjusting them until his companion was all but resting atop of him. After another moment of struggling Tobirama sighed and sank into his hold, head leaning against Madara’s chest. Neither of them mention how Tobirama’s other hand found its way into the grasp of his free hand.

The tension that had built up over the days seemed to ebb away just like that. Madara could feel himself relaxing as the familiarity of it all set in.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hot second, words are eluding me. Going to try and just post as the thoughts hit. Happy new year to everyone and stay safe and well!


	8. Chapter 8

The rays of the sun were a warm welcome, breaking through the gloomy clouds that had blanketed the morning sky. The distant chattering of voices in the compound seemed to be brighter too, as if elevated by the change of good weather. 

The steady ebb and flow of unfettered chakra was like a balm to his returning senses. The freedom to just stretch them without being inhibited had him almost bubbling in childlike giddiness. 

Tobirama enjoyed the simplicity of it from where he laid. 

With each day, he was able to reach that much further and though it was slower than he would have liked it to be, the chilling emptiness that had clung since was starting to melt away. 

A small huff behind him had him shifting, turning himself away from the window and closer to the man that curled around him. Madara. He had insisted to keep hold of Tobirama last night, despite knowing how numb his arm would get. 

Tobirama had easily acquiesced, unwilling to be apart from the only person that he truly knew. 

He took his time in studying the man before him. Asleep, the Uchiha looked much less haggard; his face loosening from the tightness of stress as the furrows of his brows smoothed out and his lips relaxed with each soft exhale. 

Tobirama brought up a hand to run through the mane of hair. He relished the softness, tucking a stray stand behind an ear. It was a far cry from the coarseness that he had assumed it to be. The mattedness that he remembered in the time they had spent huddled together had long been beaten into submission, thoroughly washed and brushed through. 

Despite the fact that Madara had vehemently promised that no harm would befall him, Tobirama still could not help how incredibly tense he had been when he first awoken. But he was trying. The medics that had been in the ward, before Madara insisted that they relocate to his quarters, had been kind and courteous. 

Hanako, the head medic, had been surprisingly attentive and even protective for reasons he could not comprehend. The few who made attempts to catch a glimpse of him were quick to meet her fiery ire.

Even Izuna had been agreeable, opting to stay with Hikaku citing that it would be easier for them to manage the clan. They had spoken briefly; the younger clan heir had even gone as far as wishing him well, lacking the snideness that he would project when they met in combat. 

Past the initial intrigue, the clan all but accepted his presence without a bat of an eye. Tobirama could not help but wonder just what Madara had done to sway his people into thinking that it was okay to house an enemy nin. 

When he had tried to broach the subject, Madara’s face had soured initially before reddening in mulish embarrassment. 

Once Madara explained, Tobirama immediately found his own cheeks burning an equally hot hue at the implication. During their time together they had never truly spoken of what had started to develop between them, too wary about whether or not it would be used against them. 

But now that they were in safer waters, Tobirama had allowed himself to wonder. The Uchiha Head was quick to reassure him that he did not need to take his words to heart but Tobirama could see the seriousness behind what Madara had shared. After all, it was Madara himself who had previously explained to him just how much and how singularly an Uchiha’s love burned. 

Pulling Madara down to him despite the halfhearted protest of compromising his recovery, Tobirama found himself taking the plunge. It had only been two nights since and the time they spent exploring each other without dread and caution had been exhilarating. Even now, Tobirama found solace in just being in Madara’s embrace, the novelty of it all had yet to truly wear off. 

A part of him quietly wished it never did. 

But he knew that time was running out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I was feeling a change of view and then it turned into this, almost like a calm before a storm.... not that there is a storm brewing or anything... :')   
> (Still trying to convince myself that this is supposed to stay as drabbles and not develop an actual plot)


	9. Chapter 9

“Why are we just waiting like this?” snarled Touka, slamming her hand down on the table. She was uncaring of the hot tea splashing from her cup and onto the wooden surface. The other two sitting before her were in similar states of discontent.

Hashirama barely flinched, elbows still propped on the table as he had yet to pick up his head from where it laid resting against his clasped hands. His hair fell forward like a curtain further hiding any emotion. He had been uncharacteristically silent for one who was usually so exuberant. 

Rolled open at the center of the table was the scroll that had been sent from the most unlikely of people. And in it, contained a proposal that Hashirama had long since dreamed of seeing were it not for the achingly familiar writing he had slowly started thinking he would never see again. 

It was also what had initially driven Touka into a fit of blind rage. Though she had calmed to a modicum since reading it herself, she was still smarting from what had transpired previously, “Are we really going to take their word with this?”

“We know that the Uchiha are renowned for their abilities in forgery.” Mito chided gently, the tags pinned to her hair rustling as she reached over to wipe the small puddle of tea off. Ever realistic with the possibilities of other outcomes, Mito continued grimly gesturing at the scroll, “We could be playing into their hands. It’s too much of a coincidence that they send this.” 

Touka could only gnash her teeth at the woman’s words but did not refute her point. Afterall, she had been thinking those very thoughts herself. But the sliver of a chance that it was really Tobirama was just too much of a conceivability to pass up. 

Part of Touka’s unrest played from the immense amount of helpless rage that still festered from being unable to find him herself. 

What should have been a perfunctory track mission had gone sour the moment Tobirama had stopped his weekly correspondence. By the time they had reached where he had last reported, it was another week and any trace of his presence had been cleared, washed away by the course of nature. It was too clean, as if specifically targeting Tobirama and hiding him from the clan’s view. 

To make matters worse, she had returned to whispers of movement from the Uchiha. They had been quiet for a while and whatever skirmishes that could potentially prop up had been avoided, with no engagement from their side. 

If they were to attempt any attacks, the Senju would be hard-pressed with the inevitable casualties. The balance shaken without Tobirama there to temper it. 

Therefore it was a shock to her when she resumed patrol and had been intercepted by Izuna, himself. 

For a man who notoriously boasted a disdain for the Senju, he had been almost cordial when presenting the scroll. 

Touka had taken it and upon opening it went for his damned throat, recognizing the familiar handwriting for who it was. Had Mito, who had started joining patrols as a means to acclimate herself, not been part of the group, there would have been a bloodbath. It was only by the Uzumaki’s sealing binds that Touka stopped by a hair's width, her naginata just missed grazing the Uchiha heirs neck. 

“Fucking- MITO, LET ME GO,” yelled Touka, straining against the binds to no avail, glaring straight into the startled eyes that bleed into the familiar red of the clan’s doujustu, “Where is he? You dare make a macabre of him like this, Uchiha?!” 

Rather than rise to her bait, Izuna held up a hand, halting the restless Uchiha behind him. They too had been alarmed by the explosion of temper from her of all the Senju, “Why don’t you actually read it before you jump to conclusions.”

“This…” murmured Mito in growing disbelief. She had picked up the discarded scroll and started reading the contents, frown steadily growing the longer she continued skimming through the content. Seeing that at least one person was beginning to understand, Izuna turned away, casting a stoic glance back at Touka. 

“If you truly want him back, heed those terms.” 

With that said, the Uchiha departed as quickly as they came, disappearing through the trees. 

It led them to the current situation at hand of whether or not the Senju should go forth in this or not.

“However...”, continued Mito, bringing up her cooling tea to take a sip, “If what is being stated is true then it is quite possible that Tobirama is alive. While that is more than we have to go by then before-”

“I will take that chance,” interrupted Hashirama. It was the first words he had spoken since reading the scroll in its entirety. Finally raising his head up, he met the gazes of the two before him, desperate hope shining behind a haggard face. 

“I need to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my one attempt to add Hashirama and it's like I've developed an allergic reaction to writing anything about him. Guess, it's not meant to be. sorry guys :')  
> Touka be popping off though, she's been coming in hot this month.


	10. Chapter 10

“...Tobirama,” Madara started haltingly, hesitant in a way that was reminiscent of poorer times as the words he wanted to say stayed lodged in his throat. “I-” 

“Don’t, please,” begged Tobirama tensely, voice muffled from where he had burrowed his face at the crook of Madara’s neck. Madara could feel the hitching breaths and a wetness that had slowly seeped into the folds of his yukata onto his skin. 

“Don’t apologize.”

Madara relented with a grimacing sigh, letting his head settle back onto the pillow, as he continued to run a hand up and down the slimmer man’s back. They fell back into silence. The only sounds in the room coming from the occasional crackling pops of the charcoal embers in the irori and the brush of the night wind against the screens. 

_ With the returning acceptance from the Senju, they had set to meet. However, neither had expected the relapse it had caused. _

_ Madara had already had qualms about even meeting in person considering how much the younger Senju had yet to fully recover in his sensing and chakra. But Tobirama had started growing desperate in the need to know what the state of his clan was in. His usual means of checking was still impossible for him to reach no matter how much he tried to push. _

_ It wasn’t enough. _

_ In the end, the Uchiha Head had relented, despite his worries. For all that Tobirama had experienced with Madara, the Senju was still not truly home. And while the Uchiha were no longer hostile to him, some even kind, Tobirama still ached for the familiarity of kin.  _

_ The Uchiha had arrived first with the Senju appearing through the brushes shortly after. Both sides were limited in party. It was clear that Hashirama wanted nothing more than to rush over the moment he set his eyes on Tobirama.  _

_ Tobirama, who looked so much thinner and exhausted but settled in a way that Hashirama had never seen before.  _

_ Tobirama, who was alive. His little brother was alive. Whole.  _

_ Tobirama, who had started to reach to grasp his outstretched hands only to recoil with a shocked jerk of pain at the brief contact. He had forgotten the potency of Hashirama’s natural energy. _

_ Everyone had startled and the amount of chakra in the area spiked exponentially. _

_ It only exacerbated Tobirama’s careening spiral down, eyes dulling as his mind started to blank from the overwhelming influx. He was no longer looking at what was in front of him.  _

_ All he could see were the phantom dredges of oppressive hands. The pressure of it all caused tremors to start running through his body as he keened brokenly in his denial. He did not notice the horrified shock of his brother and those of his clansmen nor the alarm of the Uchiha behind him. _

_ He would have collapsed to the ground were it not for Madara catching him as he went limp. The Uchiha Head pulled the younger man into his hold in panic, cursing as he realized just where Tobirama’s mind had fallen into.  _

_ “All of you. ” Madara seethed, voice dropping to a hiss with barely concealed anger, “Cease this instant.” _

_ While it was immediate from the Uchiha end, the Senju followed more reluctantly, unsure of just what had caused their clan heir to react like that.  _

_ “What is happening?” demanded Hashirama in panic at the state that Tobirama had fallen into, his hands glowing green as he stepped towards them, “Let me help.” _

_ “ Hashirama, back off,” Madara’s own control of his chakra had been tenuous at best but the moment Hashirama started moving closer, it was threatening to snap.  _

_ Hashirama frowned, face mulish in disbelief, “I can fix it-” _

_ “YOU CAN’T JUST FIX THIS.” His voice rang out sharply over the Senju head, temper frayed. He would have continued yelling if Tobirama hadn’t let out a wounded cry.  _

_ “You can’t fix the injury of the mind,” Madara exhaled harshly, repeating the words as the agitation started to take hold. He tucked the twitching man closer to himself, “You were not there.” _

_ They needed to leave. _

_ It was too soon to let him go. _

It had taken Tobirama the better part of the evening to pull himself out. The disaster of the afternoon was a foggy blur that he did not want to delve back into. But the realization that he could not yet touch his own brother had hurt, a stark reminder that he was not as well as he thought he was. 

But Madara had stayed with him. Madara who had not let go of him since they returned, a solid anchor to his meandering mind.

Tobirama let out a deep exhale, slowly loosened his tight grasp on the man’s yukata and tried to smooth out the creases. It was half-hearted at best. He spent a few more seconds trying before giving up. Instead, Tobirama pushed himself up to look down at the frowning face and gently cupped a cheek.

Those black eyes staring back at him swirled with sorrow as they took in the redness under his eyes and the returning pallid hue of his skin that had been gradually ebbing away. 

Tobirama broke their gaze. 

“In my haste, I’ve only caused you more trouble,” he started softly, absently watching his thumb stroke vague shapes against warm skin as he gathered his thoughts, “It should be me apologizing to you.” 

There was a beat in the moment as those words hung in the air before a firm grip wrapped around the back of his hand. Tobirama allowed it to stop his movements and lead it to a new direction. He could not help but close his eyes to stave off tears as his wrist was turned and pressed against gentle lips in easy forgiveness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took another shot with Hashirama, ended up with this tunnel visioning scene of a distraction. Suffice to say, there will be no more me attempting it anytime soon, I quit for now. :’)   
> These are also getting longer and longer for no reason whatsoever, why damnit why.


End file.
